Tag: Prescott

Prescott is located half-way between Phoenix and Flagstaff. At a mile high in elevation, Prescott stays about 10 to 15 degrees cooler than Phoenix and 10 to 15 degrees warmer than Flagstaff.

If for you these last few months stuck in coronavirus quarantine have felt a little weird, you’re not alone. For me, April seemed to take forever. Now, in May, I can’t remember what day it is half the time. I’m starting to feel like I’m enduring a perpetual time loop, reliving the same day over and over.

Today is Tuesday. I think. As we pack up the RV and head out on a road trip for Prescott to explore “Everybody’s Hometown”.

Nestled in a stunning mountain bowl and surrounded by one of the largest ponderosa pine forests in the West, the beautiful town of Prescott is steeped in history with an authentic taste of western heritage. Unlike most towns in the West that occurred haphazardly by the promise of cheap land, the availability of water, or the craze of prospectors or speculators, Prescott was designed as a proper city from the beginning.

Miners prospecting for gold first settled this area. It was that presence of gold that prompted President Lincoln to designate Arizona as a territory in 1863. The cash-poor Union was two years into the Civil War.

Lincoln dispatched a contingent of loyal Midwesterners and New Englanders to build the territorial capital here in the north-central part of the territory. This was a political play, as he wanted to keep the Arizona Territory in the Union camp. He definitely did not want governing power in its southern reaches—namely Tucson, 200 miles south—where Confederate sympathies prevailed.

With shaded trees, well-kept yards, and Victorian houses of an earlier era, Prescott seems the idealized small town. Courthouse Plaza, dominated by the 1916 Yavapai County Courthouse, works for me as the classic town square—the centerpiece of Anytown, USA. In the evenings, people show up here to read, stroll, play on the grass, or just sit and talk.

While walking around the Courthouse Plaza, we encountered the bronze statue of Captain Bucky O’Neill, a Rough Rider, sitting astride his mount. Created by noted Western sculptor Solon Borglum, brother of the creator of Mount Rushmore’s four notable presidents, this memorial to the Rough Riders has been called one of the finest equestrian bronze sculptures in the world. Locals refer to it as the “Bucky O’Neill statue” in honor of a former mayor who died at the Battle of San Juan Hill in the Spanish-American War.

Beneath the statue, etched in cement, a time line denotes past historic events, such as: 1869, John Wesley Powell explores the Grand Canyon; 1945, World War II ends; and 1912, Arizona achieves statehood.

In spite of its “proper” beginning, Prescott was a cowboy town. In the early 1900s, there were some 40 saloons along the wooden sidewalk of Montezuma Street. The Palace Saloon was one of them. It is still here, serving whiskey and beer at the oldest bar in the state.

John C. Fremont, the storied Western explorer and Civil War general was the territorial governor here for five years. Fremont’s home has been moved to the site of the Sharlot Hall Museum. Prescott boasts 525 buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Several important structures forming part of the Sharlot Hall Museum complex—two blocks from the Courthouse Plaza—were relocated there to save them from destruction.

Strolling the meandering walkway from building to building felt like visiting a quaint 1860s village. From the Bashford House, we walked past the ornate gazebo to the Fremont House. Though sparse by today’s standards, the cottage back then stood clapboard and gingerbread above the rough log house across the path that functioned as the Governor’s Mansion at the time.

Two- and three-story buildings built of brick and stone line
Main Street as if holding back the canyon walls rising sharply along its
length. Bisbee’s slopes display a century’s worth of architecture, from
historic inns to refurbished, modern-looking former miners’ shacks.

Bisbee thrives on a laid-back foundation of artists,
entrepreneurs, and free thinkers. Whether you’re exploring the shops downtown,
the drinking establishments of Brewery Gulch, or the town’s dizzying network of
concrete stairs, you’ll be welcomed with a smile.

Claim to fame: Put
on a yellow rain slicker, climb aboard a rail car, and rumble into the heart of
a mountain. The Copper Queen Mine Tour follows what was once one of Bisbee’s richest
veins, mapped by men with no fear of dark, enclosed spaces.

On sunny, mild weekends—and so many of them are—residents
and tourists flock to the grassy square at the heart of downtown. In view of
the Yavapai County Courthouse, a four-story granite structure looming like a
castle, many stake claims to shady spots under spreading elms, or people-watch
from the courthouse steps.

Others browse the shops, restaurants and bars that box in
the 4-acre plaza, a design that’s as perfect today as it was in 1864 when the
town was laid out. Founders couldn’t have envisioned the role the plaza now
plays, hosting more than 100 festivals and events annually. The square is not
just Prescott’s heart, but its soul.

Granite Cliffs and Watson Lake, Prescott

Claim to fame: Step
back in time at the Palace Restaurant Saloon and Restaurant. Opened in 1877,
the state’s oldest bar is one of the most popular stops on Whiskey Row and
once hosted Doc Holliday as well as Wyatt and Virgil Earp. The Palace burned to
the ground in 1900 but not before patrons carried the bar itself to safety.
That original Brunswick bar remains, polished smooth over more than a century
of use.

The way buildings cling precariously to the side of
Cleopatra Hill, it’s as if gravity has been suspended in this former mining
town. Jerome is laid out vertically, with Arizona 89A switchbacking
through it. The Verde Valley spreads out below in one of the most accessible
vistas in Arizona.

Claim to fame: The
town may be Arizona’s most haunted. Many visitors hoping for a spontaneous
outbreak of spirits can play it by eerie at the Jerome Grand Hotel. The
building opened in 1927 as the United Verde Hospital and since then guests
and staff have reported all sorts of unearthly activity, from apparitions and
flickering lights to disembodied voices. The hotel looms over Jerome and even
appears menacing at sunset. That’s a great time to duck into its bar, The
Asylum, where spirits of a different kind are served.

The first glimpse of Sedona is one of awe. Towers and walls
of red rock surround the hamlet like a fortress. But rather than keep visitors
out, the surreal landscape attracts tourists by the thousands.

Claim to fame: Many
come to Sedona to experience the spiritual energy said to emanate from
vortexes. Those open to the possibilities may feel psychic forces energize and
heal them, per adherents. Even if you don’t believe, it’s worth visiting the
vortexes because they happen to be in some of Sedona’s most scenic spots, such
as Bell Rock and Airport Mesa.

In Phoenix for Spring Training! Spend some downtime exploring the Arizona outfield with these incredible day trips.

If you’ve come to Phoenix for spring training, or simply
to escape the winter, you may not have thought about exploring the rest of
Arizona.

If you return home after seeing seven games in seven
days, but nothing of Arizona you’ll regret it. Maybe not today, maybe not
tomorrow, but soon, and for the rest of the season!

But even the most diehard of spectators will find pockets of
downtime. So it’d be a big swing and miss if you didn’t sneak off and explore
the surrounding area: Seriously, the unreal landscapes, cultural riches, and
award-winning eats add up to a stellar bonus vacation.

Here are some of Arizona’s can’t-miss destinations, and what
you can do there in just a day.

Back in the day, men went where the precious ore was, no
matter how precarious the landscape. Today, Jerome still clings for dear life
to Cleopatra Hill, having successfully transitioned from mining town to
tourist-friendly destination with restaurants, galleries and, best of all, a
great view at every hairpin turn.

Must see: Imagine
a dark and stormy night where a bolt of lightning illuminates a large building
looming over a small town! That’s the Jerome Grand Hotel, a former hospital now
home to guests (and a few spirits, if legends are to be believed).

Cliched tourist
activity actually worth doing: Jerome is supposedly among Arizona’s most
haunted towns (its largest public venue is called Spook Hall). Take a tour and
learn all about those who are living the afterlife.

If Arizona has a classic small town, this is it. From
historic bars and hotels to a downtown centered round a formidable
courthouse, Prescott is a casting agent’s dream with it comes to finding
a charming village.

Must see: Stroll
along Whiskey Row (Montezuma Street), which earned its moniker at the turn
of the 20th century. There may be fewer bars, but the historic charm remains,
particularly at the Palace Restaurant and Saloon. In July 1900, as flames
approached in a massive fire that would destroy much of Prescott, patrons
dragged the bar to safety, and then returned for the liquor.

Cliched tourist activity
actually worth doing: As you enter the Palace Saloon and smile at workers
in 1880s costumes, belly up to the historic bar and order a shot of whiskey, as
countless cowboys have done.

Insider tip: Duck
into Matt’s Saloon and see if you can find the photo of Bruce Springsteen. The
bartenders have an interesting tale of how The Boss stopped by September 29,
1989, and left a huge tip for a server in need.

How much time to
allot: Six hours. Half of that time will be spent driving there and
back.

Long ago this once-sleepy town was regarded as the gateway
to, well, just about anywhere else. But thanks to its thriving wine scene and
quaint Old Town packed with tasting rooms, Cottonwood has become the darling of
the wine set.

Must see (and drink):
The best wine tour in the area is right along Main Street. Five winery tasting
rooms are within a block of one another. Each offers unique, locally made
wines. You may be surprised how well “Arizona” and “fine wines” go together.

Cliched tourist
activity actually worth doing: Climb aboard a steed (well, a very gentle
horse) for a ride along the Verde River in Dead Horse Ranch State Park. It is
best if you experience this authentic old-west trek before you hit the tasting
rooms.

Insider tip: If
you have a designated driver (or you can pace yourself) take a ride to sample
the offerings of nearby winemakers. Page Springs Cellars and Alcantara
Vineyards have indoor and outdoor seating with views of the vines. The Southwest
Wine Center, in a sleek, modern space on the Yavapai College campus, pours
wines made entirely by students, right down to the labels.

How much time to
allot: That depends. Are you drinking and driving? Stay overnight. If
you’re bringing along a designated driver, plan on seven or eight hours. With
a 3½-hour round-trip drive, you’ll have plenty of time to sample all your
favorite vintages.

Worth Pondering…

The trip across Arizona is just one oasis after another. You
can just throw anything out and it will grow there.